Rose plant named ‘Yopilit’

ABSTRACT

A distinctive cultivar of Hybrid Tea Rose plant named ‘Yopilit’, characterized by its glossy dark green leaves; long, thick and green stems; large light pink-colored flowers; and good postproduction longevity.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Rosa hybrida cultivar Yopilit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of HybridTea Rose plant, botanically known as Rosa hybrida, commercially producedas a cut flower, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yopilit’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Salinas, Calif. The objective of the breeding programwas to develop new cut Rose cultivars with attractive flower petalcolors, long and strong stems, dark green leaves and good postproductionlongevity.

The new cultivar originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1996 ofthe cultivar Matty, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent withthe cultivar Madame Meilland, not patented, as the male, or pollen,parent. The cultivar Yopilit was discovered and selected by the Inventoras a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in acontrolled environment in June, 1998, in Madrid, Cundinamarca, Colombia.

Since December, 1998, asexual reproduction of the new cultivar bygrafting on Rosa Manetti rootstocks in Madrid, Cundinamarca, Colombia,has shown that the unique features of the new cultivar are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Yopilit’. These characteristics incombination distinguish the new Hybrid Tea Rose as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Glossy dark green leaves.

2. Long, thick and green stems.

3. Large light pink-colored flowers.

4. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the Hybrid Tea Rose can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Matty. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by theInventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new cultivar differed fromplants of the cultivar Matty in the following characteristics:

1. Flowering stems of the new Hybrid Tea Rose have more thorns thanflowering stems of the cultivar Matty.

2. Plants of the new Hybrid Tea Rose have lighter pink-colored flowerpetals than plants of the cultivar Matty.

Plants of the Hybrid Tea Rose can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Madame Meilland. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new cultivardiffered from plants of the cultivar Madame Meilland in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Hybrid Tea Rose have much longer flowering stemsthan plants of the cultivar Madame Meilland.

2. Flowering stems of the new Hybrid Tea Rose have more thorns thanflowering stems of the cultivar Madame Meilland.

3. Plants of the new Hybrid Tea Rose have lighter pink-colored plowerpetals than plants of the cultivar Madame Meilland.

Plants of the new Hybrid Tea Rose have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantlywith variations in environment such as temperature, light, water statusand/or fertilizer type and rate, without, however, any variance ingenotype.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the new Hybrid Tea Roseplant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtainin colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph maydiffer slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription which accurately describe the colors of the new Hybrid TeaRose.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringstem of the new Hybrid Tea Rose grown in Midrid, Cundinamarca, Colombia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations and measurements describe cut flowering stemsof plants grown in Madrid, Cundinamarca, Colombia, inpolyethylene-covered greenhouses with day temperatures ranging from 14to 20° C., night temperatures ranging from 4 to 8° C., and light levelsranging from 3,000 to 5,000 foot-candles. Flowering stems used in thephotograph and the description were about 78 days old. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

Classification:

Botanical.—Rosa hybrida cultivar Yopilit.

Commercial.—Hybrid Tea Rose used as a cut flower.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Rosa hybrida cultivar Matty, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Rosa hybrida cultivar Madame Meilland, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type.—Cuttings grafted onto Rosa Manetti rootstocks.

Plant description:

Form.—Upright; narrow.

Growth habit.—Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 76 to 91 cm.

Plant width.—About 20 cm.

Stem and lateral branches (peduncles).—Lateral branch length: About 76to 91 cm. Lateral branch diameter: Base: Thick, about 8.5 mm. Apex:Thick, about 6 mm. Internode length: About 6.7 cm. Texture: Smooth.Strength: Strong. Color: Young and mature, close to 146A. Thorns:Quantity: Very thorny, about 21 per 12 cm of stem. Height: About 7 mm.Width at base: About 7 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Color, immature and mature:59A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, compound with typicallythree to seven leaflets per leaf. Leaf length, five-leaflet leaves:Terminal leaves: About 8.8 cm. Lateral leaves: About 7.6 cm. Leaf width,five-leaflet leaves: Terminal leaves: About 5.3 cm. Lateral leaves:About 4.3 cm. Leaflet shape: Ovate. Leaflet apex: Acuminate. Leafletbase: Obtuse. Leaflet margin: Sharply serrate. Leaflet texture: Smooth,leathery, glabrous. Occasional small thorns on lower petiole and midribof terminal leaflet, about 1.5 by 1.5 mm in size and close to 59A incolor. Petiole length, 5-leaflet leaves: About 8.9 cm. Petiole diameter:At stem attachment: About 7 mm. At base of terminal leaves: About 1.5mm. Stipules: Quantity: Two at base of petiole. Length: About 2 cm.Length of appendages: About 7 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Color: Youngfoliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A, glossy. Young foliage, lowersurface: Close to 147B. Mature foliage, upper surface: Much darker than147A, glossy; venation, 147A. Mature foliage, lower surface: Close to147B; venation, 146B to 146C. Petiole: Upper surface: 187A. Lowersurface: 146A, nodes, 187A. Stipules, upper surface: Much darker than147A. Stipules, lower surface: Close to 147B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Large light pink-colored flowers. Consistentlysymmetrical rosette flowers. Freely and recurrent flowering. Flowersarranged singly at terminal apices. Flowers persistent.

Flowering season/time to flower.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions.Depending on environmental conditions and season, time to flower isabout 70 days.

Flower diameter, fully opened.—About 12 cm.

Flower depth (height), fully opened.—About 5.3 cm.

Flower longevity as a cut flower.—At least 7 to 10 days.

Fragrance.—Slight, typical Hybrid Tea Rose fragrance.

Flower buds.—Shape: Ovoid. Length: About 5.1 cm. Color: 144A.

Petals and petaloids.—Petaloids vary in size, but similar to petals inshape and coloration. Quantity: About 38. Length, outer petals: About6.3 cm. Width, outer petals: About 6.7 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Mostlyrounded with small point. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Mostly entire, slightlyemarginate. Texture: Smooth, satiny. Color: When opening, upper surface:Center and towards base, 155A, and center towards margin, 63A to 63D.When opening, lower surface: Center and towards base, 155A, and centertowards margin, 63A to 63D. Fully opened, upper surface: Center andtowards base, 155A, and center towards margin, 63B, fading to 63C withsubsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface: Center and towardsbase, 155A to close to 19D, and center towards margin, 63C.

Sepals.—Quantity: Five. Length: About 6.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm.Shape: Sharply lanceolate. Apex: Elongated, acuminate. Base: Fused atreceptacle. Margin: Cilate with occasional sharply acuminate appendages.Texture: Upper surface, pubescent; lower surface, glabrous. Color: Uppersurface: Closest to 144B. Lower surface: 144A with central anthocyaninstripe, 59A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About 112 per flower. Antherlength: About 3 mm. Anther diameter: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Cordate,concave. Anther color: Close to 17A. Filament length: About 3 mm.Filament color: Close to 58D. Pollen amount: None. Pistils: Quantity:About 34 per flower. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Style color: 45A.Stigma shape: Bi-lobed. Stigma color: Close to 5C. Ovary color: 145D to155D. Receptacle height: About 1.9 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.5cm. Receptacle texture: Smooth. Receptacle color: 144A to 146A.

Seed.—None observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Hybrid Tea Rose have been observedto be somewhat resistant to Powdery Mildew.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hybrid Tea Rose plant named‘Yopilit’, as illustrated and described.